Grooveyard
Records is a label that claims to be "a label dedicated to
outstanding TOTAL GUITAR music from around the world," and
this disc shoves that theory right down your throat. Swedish guitar
wiz Janne Stark of Locomotive Breath and Grooveyard proprietor Joe
Romagnola have assembled a set of obscure 70's guitar rock anthems
that scream with an intensity unmatched in today's music world.

The track listing alone is impressive and demands a respectful tip
of the cap. With songs from underground legends such as Budgie,
Point Blank, Captain Beyond and Samson, Stark and Romagnola prove
that they are students of the game. These tunes were dug from the
precious soil of 70's hard rock, and they weren't found lying on
the surface either; these guys dug deep to find great songs that
were worthy of modern representation. Seeing songs from Rick Derringer
and Moxy on the track listing was something that had me respecting
them instantly, but actually hearing their amazing renditions of
these songs was something astonishing.

Most of the material here is animalistic; primal and vicious. Like
a rabid dog these tracks come running at you full force. The impressive
thing with this disc is how it still remains structured and precise
while it rips your head apart. It never gets out of control and
wanders. As wild and untamed as these songs are, Stark plays his
guitar with a sense of melody and an attention to song detail that
never falters. With songs like Samson's "Tomorrow Or Yesterday"
demanding a steady rhythm, nothing is lost when Stark starts to
explode with guitar fireworks. The poise and class of this band
is really quite phenomenal. Whether it is the dual harmony leads
of Stray Dog's "Crazy" or the Rainbow-tinged spirit of
Montrose's "Black Train," Mountain Of Power captures the
heart and soul of each piece and delivers a blast of guitar fury
that will please even the pickiest guitar rock fan.

I can't even remember the last time I heard anyone tear into guitar
solos like this; come to think of it, it was probably in the 70's.
Every song houses a big fat guitar part, and each of them is bone
crushing. One of the most impressive selections here is a song called
"One Of A Kind." It was originally done by a band called
Wireless, who had their record produced by Rush frontman Geddy Lee.
Yes, MOP does a wonderful job in its rendition of the song, but
that's not why I find this exceedingly impressive. They know who
Wireless is!! Wireless is a band that got past even the most seasoned
rock fan when they were buried by bubblegum pop in the early 80's.
I find it terribly exciting to have them back in this setting. It
was the same feeling when I heard their smokin' version of Captain
Beyond's "Fantasy" mid-way through the disc. Captain Beyond
stands as one of the great "unknowns" of our time, and
it's great to see a band like MOP recognize that.

The super riff that leads Neon Rose's "Love Rock" .the
bashing of Mountain's "Dreams Of Milk & Honey" ..the
caressing rhythms and blistering solos within their original instrumental
self-titled song . No matter what track you find yourself being
assaulted by, you're in for a real treat. Guitarist Janne Stark
is one of the best in the entire world, and he has surrounded himself
with some of the finest musicians available. If you are a fan of
guitar heavy hard rock, this just might be the best thing you've
ever heard.